Time-fuse for projectiles.



J. F. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT. TIME FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 190s.

Patented May 23, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

an 17G f f flaw? J. -F. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

TIME FUSE FOR PROJEQTILES. APPLICATION PI-LED JAN. 14, 1908.

Patented May 23, 1911.

"ETSSHEBT 2.

PS al fozum p J. F. MEIGS 6; R. P. STOUT. fIIME FUSE FOR PROJEGTILES.

APPLICATION FILED'JAN.14, 1908. 1 993 091 .1 Patented May 23,1911.

3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

r STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jenn r. Mares AND ROBERT P. sTo UT, or SOUTH BETHLEHEM, rEmwsYLvAN-m,

' ssrenons To BETHLEHEM sTEnL oomuauw,v or SOUTH BETHLEHEM, "PENNSYL-VANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

TIME-rush Eon PRQJECTILES.

waoei.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May -23, 1911.

Application filed January 14, 1908. Serial No. 410,769.

have nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Fuses forProjectiles,

of which the following is a specification.

In multiple train time fuses for explosive projectiles it has heretoforebeen customary to adjust the rings or other devices carrying the severaltrains or sections of the fuse relatively to interpo se more or less ofthe line of fuse composition between the primary igniting device orprimer the explosive charge in the shell to delay the bursting oftheshell more or less according to requirements The present inventionrelates to improved means for eflecting-the relative adjustment of thefuse rings and to various details of construction which will behereinafter drawing, in which,.

pointed out. v I

We shall proceed to describe .the invention .i'n connection with theaccompanying Figure 1 is a side 'view of a fuse embodying the presentinvention; Fig. 2 1s a vertlcal central section through the fuse shownin- Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively plan views of the top,middle and bottom fuse rings;'Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views onthe lines.66, 7-'7, and 8-8 of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Figs. 9,10 and 11 are diagramslillustrating the manner of adjusting the severalfuse-rings'to vary the time of the explosion;

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 10. indicates the stock ofthe fuse, which is adapted to be connected with the point of theprojectile and 11 the cap, which is attached to the forward end of thestock. Within the cap is a hammer chamber 12, containing a movablehammer 13 which is nor mally retained in' inoperative position by a key14. When the projectile is about to be fired'the key is withdrawn torelease the hammer.- The hammer is then retained in positiontemporarily'by a wire 15 which is ignited by the blow-of a hammer 18which is normally retained in inoperative position by a shear wire 19. Achamber 20 above the primer 17 is filled wi'th explosive material' and.passages 21, 22, are provided in.v the primer seat and: the hammer '13to permit the flame from the chamber 20 to pass to the explosive chargein the projectile.

On the upper cylindrical portion 10* of.

the stock' three rings'23, 24, 25 are mounted, the lower ring resting ona flange IO of the stock and being of substantially the same diameterand the upper ring being situated just beneath the cap 11. It will beunderstood that our invention contemplates the use of two or more fuserings and that the construction having three rings is shown simply forillustration. The several rings have annular recesses 23, 24 25 in theirunder sides extending nearly but not quite around the rings. The channel25 is closed bythe flange 10 of the fuse stock and the channels 23*,24*, are closed by the rings belowthem. The upper ring 23-, upon whichthe spring washer 27 bears, has an annularrecess 27 'which is in,communication with the primer 16 through a channel 28 in the stock- Therecess or channel 27 and the channel 28 are charged with rapid burningpowder which communicates ignition quickly from the primer to the fusein the ring 23. The channel 27 communicates with the fuse channel in thering 28 through an opening 29. It will thus be seen that the .fire fromthe primer 16 is rapidly communicated to the fuse in the ring 23 in anyadjustment of said ring.

In the position of the rings illustrated in ,Fig. 2, there is a directcommunication between the recess 27 and the magazine chamber 20 and ifthe projectile were fired while the rings are in this position theexplosive charge in the projectile would be immediately ignited. Theignition of the explosive charge is delayed more or less by adj ustingthe several fuse rings and these rings are so constructed andinterlocked that anyf'adjustment of the three rings which may Madesiredcan be efiected by turning'the uppermost ring. The lower rings 24, 25,are normally maintainedin the position shown in Fig. 2- by suitablespring latches 30 which are seated in -the fuse stock and engage notchesor recesses in the rings. These latches preventtheir respectlve ringsfrom being moved accidentally or by frictional en -33 .projecting intosaid groove 32. The ring 23 is provided with an opening 34 whichservesas a vent andjalso for'the insertion-of a rod or. handle by meansof which the ring can be turned. The intermediate ring '24 is likewiseprovided with a depending stud or shoulder 31 which travels in anannular groove 32 in the lower ring 25 and is adapted toengage a stud orshoulder 33 projecting The fuse channel 23 cominto said recess.municates with the fuse channel 24 through an opening 24 and the fusechannel 24 communicates with the fuse channel 25" through anopening 25 1The fuse rings are provided on their outer faces with suitable scaleswhich may indi cate either the time or the distance at which the fusetrain is set. A rod or handle is in-I serted in the opening in the uppertrain ring 23 and this ring is turned continuously until the graduationon one of the rings indicating the the indicating mark 35. If thetime offlight is soshort that there is sufiicient fuse in the train. ring 23,the lower rings will not be disturbed. If however a greater length offuse is'necessary than is contained in the ring 23, the stud 31 on thebottomof this ring will engage the stud 33 onthe ring 24 just as the endof the train' registers withthe opening 24 and the ring 24 willthereafter be carried around with the ring 23. In like manner the "ring25 may be carried around with the ,ring 24. It will be seen that byacontinuous movement of the ring 23 in one direction any,de-

sired amount ofthe fuse contained 1n.the three rin'gscan be renderedeffective. When loading or handling the projectile the rin 23 may beturned backward to bring port-ion between the ends of the groove 23 intoregister with the opening 24 thus cut- "ting ofi communication betweenthe rings 23 and 24.

Referring to the diagrams,;Figs. 9, 10 and 11, which illustratedevelopments of several rings, it will be seen that in ,Fig. 9 t e several rings are set as in Fig. 2 to efle t immediate explosion of theshell charge after firing. In Fig. 10 the upper ring 23 is shownadjusted slightly-to the left, thus I rendering that portion ofits fusebetween the opening 29 and the opening 24 effective. In Fig. ll the ringmade' more 23 is shown as having than a con. .ete revolution and havingcarried the ring 24 with it through a part of a revolution. It will beseen that the entire fuse irrthe ring 23 and a portion time or distanceis opposite in the ring 23 a solid '1 of the fuse in the ring 24 arethus rendered effective, and thatlthe fuse in both rings burns in thesame direction. In like manner all three sections of .the fuse may beadjusted into .a single trainburning in the same direction throughout.vI

It will be noted that in the fuse herein described all of the rings orfuse sections move inthe same only necessary to move or rotate one ofsaid sections, the remainingsections being picked up successively andautomatically and adjusted to any desired extent; and it will also benoted that the fuse in all of the sections burns in the same directionIt will be obdirection, that is, it is vious that these features of ourinvention may be attained by various constructions and hence we .do'notdesire to be understood as limiting ourselves to the particularconstruction and arrangement illustrated and described herein.

Having descrlbed our invention what we claim and desire to secure byLetters-Pat ent is,

1. Ina multiple train time fuse, a plu-" rality of fuse sections, andmeans whereby said sections are movable successively 1n the samedirection to time the fuse.

2. In a multiple train time fuse, a plurality of fuse rings, and meanswhereby said rings are rotatable successively in the same direction totime the fuse.

. 3. In a multiple train time fuse. a plurality of fuse sections andconnections between said sections whereby they are moved successively intiming the fuse.

4. In a multiple train time fuse, a plu-' rality of fuse rings andconnections betweensaid rings whereby they are-rotated successively totime the fuse.'

5. In a multiple train time fuse, a plurality of fuse rings andconnections between ring, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a multiple train time fuse,

movable in succession in the same direction to time the fuse.

7. In a multiple tram time fuse. a plu-' rality of fuse rings andconnections between said rings whereby upon rotation of one said ringswhereby when one ring has been 5 moved to render its fuse sectionoperative it will engage and move w1th it the ad acent ring the"remaining ring or rings are picked up successively and rection. I I f 8.Ina multiple train time fuse the comblrotated in the same (1i nationwith a fuse stock and two fuse rings mounted to. rotate on said stock,ofa spring latch foryieldingly holding one of said rings in a givenposition on tive the st0ck,'-and..

means whereby when the other ring has been rotated to render its fusesection'operglue yieldingly held ring W111. be picked 9. In a multipletrain tithe-fuse, the combi- In testimony whereof we :ifiix oursignanation with astock,' of two rota-table fuse tures in presenceofz'two witnesses; rings mounted thereon, and a stud or shoul- JOHN F.MEIGS. deron each of said rings projecting into ROBERT P. STOUT. 5 thepath of that on the other, whereby one Witnesses: of said rings isadapted to engage ax ld move EDWIN A. MILLER,

the other, for the purpose set forth. TI. L. Nmss.

